Outlaw
by Sygirl
Summary: Poor Luke, growing up so far from civilization. He doesn't have the opportunity to earn money or go hang out. But finally, he finds a way. He figures out how to get the things he wants. The only problem is getting Vader to leave him alone.
1. Rule Supreme

Instead of rambling here, let's read. (Revised 3/22/2005)

(-)

On Coruscant, the Emperor ruled supreme.

On Star Destroyers, Vader ruled supreme.

In the Outer Rim, crime lords ruled supreme.

But none of this mattered to eleven-year old Luke Skywalker. Luke sat listlessly at the end of his bed, mindlessly playing with a model ship, not paying it any attention. Luke only had one thing on his mind: He only wanted transportation of his own. It really didn't matter what kind of transportation it was; for Luke it could have been a modified droid with an engine attached to it. The only thing standing in his way was his Uncle Owen.

Uncle Owen had agreed that if Luke would save and earn the money, he could go out and buy something, but Luke realized the trick that his uncle was playing on him. Luke would never be able to save enough money with his meager allowance. It would take seven more years to get enough money for a land speeder (according to the average price of the cheaper models). And that was if the prices dropped massively in the next three years.

So Luke decided that earning money would the best option for him, but where was an eleven-year old boy supposed to get a job? His aunt and uncle refused to let him work in Anchorhead. ("To dangerous for a little boy," they always said.) The only place that they would let him work at was on his uncle's moisture farm, and that was where his allowance was coming from.

Sighing greatly, Luke tossed his toy to the ground and flopped on to his bed. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked himself. "Rob a bank? Start collecting bounties?" Sighing again, he pitied himself over the hopelessness of his situation. He was only an eleven-year old living in the middle of the largest desert in the Outer Rim Territories. But before Luke could continue to wallow in his misery and come up with another moneymaking scheme, his Aunt Beru called to him.

"Luke?" she yelled from the kitchen. "Luke, dinner's ready. Go and get your uncle and tell him it's time to eat."

"Okay!" Luke yelled back. Suppressing the urge to sigh, Luke slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He flattened a few stray hairs against his head and ran to the spot he last saw his uncle at. Owen Lars was bent over a power generator on the surface, working on the generator trying to fix some of the glitches that kept on coming back. Luke skipped and bounded over to his uncle. Once he was near his uncle, Luke stopped skipping and approached in a more controlled manner. Owen was so engrossed with his work that he did not notice his nephew and kept on struggling and cursing with the machine.

"Uncle Owen?" asked Luke tentatively, hoping that his uncle's anger would not transfer from the generator to him. "Um...Aunt Beru says dinner's ready." Owen snapped around as his reverie was broken, almost yelling at the intrusion on his work, but, recognizing Luke, quickly relaxed.

He stood up straight and stretched, cracking joints back into place. "Alright, Luke. Let's go eat." Once they reached the kitchen, the food was lying on the table, ready to be eaten. Beru was sitting at one end of the table, serving herself. She looked slightly worried as she nibbled on some vegetables, deep in thought.

The family ate quietly, with the only noise being the scrapes of their plates, the pouring of drinks, and Luke's legs tapping onto the leg of the chair. Once Owen was sufficiently filled, he asked for the daily news, in his usual meal tradition. Beru grew even more distressed looking at the question.

"Bad news today, Owen," she began. "First of all, Jabba put a bounty on a group of swindlers today who supposedly stole about 20 thousand credits from him. The bounty is worth more than the money they stole." She pushed some of the food around her plate, not looking up at her husband. "Second of all," she continued, "Mos Eisley will be getting a detachment of Storm Troopers. Supposedly, the Emperor is tired of not controlling the Rim." She broke off for a moment.

"What is the rest, Beru?" queried Owen, tension growing on his face. The normally tranquil Beru looked increasingly tense. Luke just sat there trying to figure out the news.

Beru sighed and looked deeply into Owen's eyes. "Darth Vader is in charge of bringing them here."

In a heartbeat, Owen changed from somber to enraged. "He's coming here?" he screamed, jumping up, knocking his chair down. Luke scooted back in his chair to get away from his towering uncle. Owen abruptly realized he was scaring Luke and sat down. He took a deep breath and said more calmly, "He's coming here? What about..." He threw a furtive glance at Luke and looked back at Beru. "What if he finds out about…?"

Beru looked slightly dismayed, but said, "Ben will take care of it." She did not even look like she fully believed what she was saying.

"He better," said Owens with finality.

(-)

With his boyish face scrunched up, subconsciously chewing on his lip, Luke sat at his desk, blankly staring at his homework. When his aunt came to check on him, she thought he was studying hard, but Luke was not paying any attention to his work. He was thinking about moneymaking.

Suddenly a knock on his door interrupted his pondering. Luke started, but then quickly gained composure again. "Yes?" he asked.

The door opened to reveal his uncle. He cautiously entered. "So, my boy," he started. "Working on homework? Good, good." He glanced around the room, as if he was looking for something.

"Did you need something, uncle?" Luke asked after a moment of silence.

"Well, boy, I wanted to talk to you about something," Owen said as he pulled up another chair to sit next to Luke. "Well, in school right now, I heard you're supposed to go to Mos Eisley on a fieldtrip, to see the imperial offices. I'm sorry, Luke, but we don't have the money now. You can't go." Owen's face held an odd look, as if he was concealing something.

"But, Uncle Owen, why now? I really wanted to go!" Luke whined. Owen stood up and looked down on his nephew.

"I'm sorry, Luke, but this is final. You will not go to Mos Eisley." With that, Owen walked out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Luke glared at the door.

"Oh, how I wish that I could have my speeder and go anywhere I wanted," he muttered to himself. With that he went to work, trying to see how he could get money, even if it did not come from his financially strapped aunt and uncle.

(-)

So? Tell me what you think.


	2. SYG 2088

I still need a beta. (Revised 3/26/05)

(-)

Fifteen-year old Luke Skywalker walked back to the house, brushing the dust off of his tunic, but the formerly white tunic now was permanently engrained with the fine sand of the desert planet Tatooine. He had been working on a moisture vaporator that was located more than a mile away from the Lars homestead for the third time that week, and it seemed that his live only consisted of walking back and forth from the house to the stupid vaporator. While he still wanted a speeder, weeks like that made him almost delirious for his own transportation, but he still could not afford it, even after four years of saving up his allowances. Uncle Owen did have his own speeder, but the machine was twenty years old and it was so slow that it felt that droids could move faster than the old machine. Owen would only take it to the farthest reaches of the farm. If the old, decrepit thing still worked, which it did not always do. Owen had let Luke pilot it once, but it had overheated so badly that it was in the shop for three weeks. How was Luke supposed to know not to take it above a walking pace?

Trudging through the small dunes, Luke snorted furiously as a small gust sent dust flying all around him, wrapping around him like a cyclone. _Great_, he thought, _just what I need. Now there is even more dust on my clothes_. Up ahead, barely a quarter of a mile, he could see the power generator above the house glittering in the heat. As he went closer, he noticed that Aunt Beru seemed to be waiting for him. Why would she be standing out in the heat waiting for him? He was not late and he had not done anything lately to get him in trouble—not serious trouble anyway. All he did was play some games with his emergency money.

As Luke approached his aunt, she said nothing, just turned around and walked down towards the house. Luke stood there a moment stunned. Was she truly that angry? She had never given him the silent treatment before. And what were a few credits for some games? She had told him once to take some money every time he went very far, just in case he needed to contact her for some reason. He was supposed to put the money back when he returned, but he never did. She knew about that though…did she not? He realized that she was almost inside and that he should be following.

Luke ran quickly down the stairs and followed his aunt inside the kitchen. The cool air was like balm on his tanned skin. While he may have been raised on the planet, sometimes the heat still got to him. Aunt Beru sat down heavily on a chair in the kitchen. He pulled up a chair next to her. "What is it, Aunt Beru?" he asked, almost afraid of what she would say. She had a troubled expression on her face.

"Luke," she began sounding more afraid than angry. Aunt Beru was afraid? She had never sounded afraid before, even during the Tusken Raider attack several years earlier. "Your uncle was attacked on his way back from the northern vaporators this morning. He's fine," she said, holding up a hand to stop him from asking, "but you can't go to school for the next couple days. You'll need to work the southern and western vaporators till he's better. I'll be in charge of the northern and eastern sections. It might be a week or so before your uncle can work again. You're also in charge of getting the supplies from Anchorhead. We're okay for today and tomorrow, but you'll have to get supplies after that, okay?"

Luke just sat there stunned. He felt horrible. He had wanted a speeder, but not like this. What if Uncle Owen did not get better soon? He would have to work on the farm and would not be able to go to school. If he did not finish school he could not go to the Academy in a couple of years. He would have to be a farmer!

"No!" he cried, his possible fate scaring him more than the thought of Tusken Raiders. Beru had gotten up to prepare some food for Owen, but turned around at the shout. She came over to him.

"What is it, Luke?" she asked soothingly, gently smoothing his hair.

Panic-stricken eyes looked up into calm eyes. He was going to say he did not want to be a farmer, but he just could not say it, not to her face. He felt like a coward. "I hope Uncle gets better," he managed to force out. Beru smiled knowingly and patted his hand.

"Don't worry, honey," Beru said tranquilly. "He'll be alright in a week or so."

(-)

This was _not_ Luke's idea of fun. For the last five days all he had done was fix the same errors in the moisture vaporators over and over again. Or, if he was not fixing a stupid moisture vaporator, he was piloting the galaxy's slowest speeder over the desert trying to get to another broken or old vaporator that decided this was the time to stop working properly. Oh, what he would give for a speeder that actually worked and worked all the time!

With another twist of the hydrospanner, the last vaporator of the day was done. Of course other vaporators needed repair, but he still had to go to Anchorhead to get supplies. _Nothing could be compared to the _joy_ of flying more than two hours one way just to get a day's worth of supplies_, thought Luke sarcastically. He hopped into the speeder and carefully started the engine, being careful not to accelerate the engine so it would not overheat again. A minute later, Luke was puttering across the desert. He passed several other settlements and farms, but after an hour it was only empty desert as far as the eye could see. He wanted nothing more than to soar across the desert as fast as possible, but having the speeder break down and being stranded was not worth it. He passed several Banthas about an hour later. Finally, he saw the outskirts of Anchorhead.

Anchorhead was considered to be a city even though it only had about 15,000 inhabitants, mainly because of its trade and economic capabilities. It was not nearly as notorious as Mos Eisley, but it still was not the safest place for a fifteen year old boy to be. Every once in a while, Storm Troopers for Mos Eisley would have to come in to remove the more dangerous criminals that threatened the local economy, but they soon left again. Luke made it through the city in fifteen minutes. He parked the landspeeder at a respectable location and started making his way through the city. He quickly got the supplies from the usual dealers, promising the usual harvest payment, since, like most farmers, the Lars had little money to spare through most of the year. Once his shopping was done, he made his way back to his speeder.

Then he saw it: glimmering red in the sunlight, the newest speeder available flew directly in front of him. The SYG-2088, the fastest and most powerful speeder yet that was not controlled by the Imperial Navy. It also was the most expensive. Luke thought enviously as it turned a corner by him, _It must cost at least 35,000 credits. That's what Uncle Owen's had cost when it was new. _He could only dream of that amount of money. Luke stood transfixed as he saw it pass him. A young man, wearing the fashion worn in Mos Eisley, was piloting.

Oh, what would he give…

(-)

There we go! That was this chapter! Okay, let's see. Luke has his temptation, and his weak mindedness when it comes to money is apparent. I wonder what he'll do in the next chapter?


	3. Can Not

Enjoy! (Revised 3/26/05)

(-)

Luke dumped his stuff in the speeder as quickly as possible, not caring if he broke any of the supplies. He _had _to talk to the owner of the speeder; this may be his only opportunity for a very long time. He jogged through the city to the point were he saw the speeder last. He only had a little time before he had to go home, but he did not care if he got into trouble if he was late. His dream just came to life. The road forked a little ways down. Luke paused for a moment and decided to take the left road, for reasons unknown to him. It just felt right. He walked down the streets and looked on in amazement at the things he saw. This was an outlaw street. This street was the street that Storm Troopers came to clean out. Spice dealers and smugglers would sometimes build warehouses in this part of the city. It was not a respectable part of the town, but if someone was looking for something rare and did not care how much it cost or where it was from, the street was a cornucopia of shopping.

Luke swerved through traffic of speeders and people, searching everywhere for the speeder. Finally, he saw it parked in front of a standard dome building, but the driver was no where to be seen. He paused, analyzing the building, betting that the driver had gone in. It could have been a house, hotel, or something completely different. If he told his friends at school about this, they would be so jealous that he was even on the street, but what was he supposed to do now? Even in illegal bars or hotels, a boy would be rejected, because of the massive amount of trouble they could get into for corrupting minors. Turning his back to the building, Luke decided that this would be as close as he could ever get to the speeder. As he started walking away, he thought about how much he wanted that speeder. For the last four years, he slaved around the house, scraping up the money that he could, but he was still no where near the 35,000 credits that it would take to buy a speeder. _Too bad I can't go in the bar,_ Luke thought. _But wait, what if it is just a perfectly legitimate store that just happens to be located on the street? I wouldn't get in trouble if I went in there. Right?_

Luke turned once more and strode to the door of the building, exuding confidence. He stood straight and tried to make himself look more mature as he walked through the doorway. What was on the other side completely amazed the teenage boy, filling grand thoughts in his head.

The inside looked like the perfect outlaw hangout. The room was filled with rare and precious things, everything from rugs to guns to jewelry to bottles of different color liquids. Despite the luxury, the room still looked dingy and worn. Traces of blaster fights were on the wall, with the scorching still quite evident. The air was thick, probably from spice smoke, and glowed from the dim lighting. Luke looked around, trying to squint through the haze to find the man would piloted the speeder outside, but he could not find him anywhere in the smoke. He saw several humanoids sitting at a table nearby discussing what sounded like shipping plans. _No, _Luke thought, _this is no bar. This must be a house or a hideout. _

"Hello," said a voice from behind him, catching Luke off-guard. Luke spun around and looked at the speaker. It was a burly looking thing, though Luke could not tell what species the speaker was. Whatever it was, it was big. "What's a kid like you looking for in here?" the creature asked. "We don't sell spice or anything." Luke looked stunned for a moment, before replying cautiously.

"I'm not here for spice," Luke answered timidly. "I'm looking for the owner of the SYG-2088 outside." Suddenly he felt horribly stupid and naïve. _Great,_ Luke thought, _he must think that I'm some kind of loser who follows speeders around. Man, I'm in so much trouble. _

"What SYG-2088?" the creature asked, his voice not revealing anything. Luke just blinked in surprise.

"The one parked outside," he responded, growing more and more anxious, not sure what he should do. Running did not seem like much of an option, because the creature was blocking his exit.

"There is no SYG-2088 outside," the creature firmly stated, walking closer to Luke. Before Luke could insist that there was, another voice broke through the air.

"Yes, there is, Exrit. It's mine," said a cultured sounding voice. "Exrit" looked abashed, and with a final look at Luke, walked back to a table hidden somewhere in the fog. The man from Mos Eisley walked forward and looked at Luke. "Now, what did you want with my speeder, kid?"

"Um…" Luke couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted. It felt so insignificant, and he felt so small.

"Well, kid? You better not waste my time," stated the man, glancing down at his manicured fingernails.

"Idliketoknowwhatitcost," blurted Luke in a rush of air. The man paused a moment to decipher what Luke had said.

"What it cost? You're a farmer kid, aren't you?" the man asked condescendingly. Luke defensively adjusted his clothing, extremely conscious of the dust engrained into the fabric. He may have not like his clothing, but there was no need for the man to be so harsh, even though he had just as little respect for the clothes. "It's probably out of your price range, kid," the man said, turning around.

"I'd still like to know," responded Luke with false bravado.

The man turned around and gazed at Luke for a moment and then flatly announced, "300,000 credits." Luke stood stunned, his eyes growing wide. How was he supposed to get that much money?

He must have said it out loud because the man laughed and responded to the question. "You can't, kid. At least not yet. Just save your money and get a cheap, safe little speeder. Well, if that's all, kid." The man turned and walked away, laughing.

Luke stood there, feeling anger build up in him. That person had _dared_ to say that he would not be able to get a speeder like that? He would not dare stoop to the level of stealing that _thing's_ speeder now, even if it was the last speeder in the galaxy. He hadn't really been considering stealing it, because he knew he would probably be caught not even a breath outside of the city. There were probably no other SYG-2088s on Tatooine and it would be extremely simple to catch it again.

Luke stalked back outside. The suns were setting and he should go back home. But the words still reverberated in his head.

_You can't…_

_You can't..._

Oh, yes, he could, but how?

(-)

Answer to some questions: Vader will come in a little bit; I need to set the story up first. It might be slow for a little bit, but it will get there, don't worry.


	4. Job Searching

Well, well, well. I feel so inspired lately. I'm actually trying to update semi-consistently and actually COMPLETE a story for once. I, unfortunately, will have the most insane week next week, so I really don't know what I'll do. So, what's going to be in this chapter? You'll just have to read and find out!  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
Luke was back home, resting on his bed. The afternoon events kept on pounding through his head, over and over again. Oh, how he wanted the speeder, but how was he supposed to get that much money? He had never even seen more than 10,000 credits in his life, but 300,000 was just overwhelming! With his new goal in mind he would have to save...carry the three...for 25 years! That was if it went down in price by 20,000 a year, which was very unlikely. How was he supposed to save up his allowance for that? He snorted despairingly and rolled over onto his side, trying to fall asleep.  
  
Then his eyes snapped back open. Another job! He could get another job! Once Uncle Owen was better, he could go to Anchorhead more often and work! After school, Biggs or another friend could take him there, and he could earn money! That's what he'd do.  
  
He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Today was his final day for going to Anchorhead. Uncle Owen was fully healed and would be working again tomorrow. So, Luke decided that today was the day that he would find a job. He had been looking at potential areas of work the last couple of times he had gone to Anchorhead. There were several restaurants and bars that might work out. There also were some warehouses where he could load and unload. There also were some stores and workshops where he could work. But first he had to go shopping.  
  
He went through his normal route and quickly got the needed supplies. Luke had three hours to find a job. He walked to the best option for a job, the mechanics supply depot. They had almost everything in there, from a warehouse to a repair shop to a store. Hopefully they would hire him for something. He quickly entered the front entrance and walked up to the counter. A human and a droid stood behind it, looking extremely bored.  
  
"I'd like a job here," Luke said. The human lazily pointed at a door. Luke quickly went through. There was a droid receptionist standing behind a counter.  
  
"Yes?" it said in the overly proper way of protocol droids. Luke walked forward and stated his purpose. "A job? How old are you?"  
  
"15," Luke stated.  
  
The droid analyzed him for a moment before responding in a monotone voice. "According to Imperial Decree-CR 2584, subsection 3, any human below the age of 18 must be schooled ten hours a day, unless already mastered or given special exemption. Do you still go to school?" "Yes, I was looking for a job after school," Luke said.  
  
"We do not have any free jobs that would work with your time schedule. My apologies." The receptionist droid turned back to the computer console and ignored him. Luke felt very worried now. He didn't know that he would run into conflicts like these, but that's probably why he never saw anyone his age working, at least in the legitimate establishments. What would he do now?  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Luke sat in his speeder, feeling frustrated. Some of the places he had looked at didn't have any opening and others wouldn't accept him because he was too young. The rest paid too little to help him towards his goal. He had thought this was a sure way of earning money, but it didn't look like it.  
  
Luke gunned the engine and started going back home. He weaved through some smaller streets and was pulling out onto the main street. Suddenly a honk and loud yelling filled the street.  
  
"You idiot kid! Watch what you're doing!" Luke turned around and saw two other speeders swerving around him. One stopped rapidly and a tall creature got out. It looked like a bounty hunter of some kind. Blasters and vibroblades of all kinds were strapped to its various limbs. The creature walked forward and came up next to Luke on his speeder. He grabbed Luke by the neck and picked him up. Luke squirmed back and forth, but a large hand cuffed him on the side of his head.  
  
The world swayed dangerously, but Luke still fought back. The creature paused for a moment and through a punch at Luke's stomach. Several snaps met Luke's ears and a large burst of pain flew through his body. Luke cried out and several tears came out of his eyes. Gasping for breath, Luke grew angrier and angrier. He hadn't cried since he was five years old. In one punch this thing had made him cry again. Anger flooded through him and suddenly he was dropped to the ground. He glanced at the creature, which was pushed up against a wall, choking. The creature clawed repetitively at its throat as if trying to remove some invisible cord. Luke stood up and walked over. The creature fell over, dead. Luke's anger drained out of him, leaving him slightly exhausted. A large purse of money lay on top of the creature. Luke bent down, grabbed it, and quickly made his way back to his speeder, not daring to think about what had just occurred.  
  
On the other side of the galaxy, Darth Vader opened his eyes as he felt a surge through the Force.  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
Yeah! Vader finally showed up! This is just the beginning of Luke's outlaw life. It wasn't truly a outlaw moment but sort of. Thanks to my reviewers! Kazzy, thanks so much for all your reviews! You're the first one every time it seems like. Please tell me what you think! (Side note, honor Deja Vu!) 


	5. Endless Cycle

I'm so happy. I love getting responses to my stories! Yeah! Well, the last chapter you got a hint of Vader, but when will you see him next? *sings* I'll never tell! *g*  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
Luke sat silently, hidden in the dark and foreboding shadows of the house, his knees pulled up to his chin. His thoughts were like a top spinning on a table. Thoughts flew around his head, all revolving around the *incident.* Why had he kill that creature? He really didn't mean to, but he just couldn't control his anger! He didn't even now *how* he did it. Luke leaned up against the building and fished the money pouch out of his pocket. Without thought, he threw it up and caught it deftly. Over and over he did this, never faltering or slowing down. Finally, the bag slipped and landed with a thump in the sand.  
  
"Thump," that was the sound that the creature had made when he had slid down to the ground after his life had been ended "Thump," was the sound of the creature's last heartbeat...but, "thump" was also the sound of a fist punching him in the stomach! "Thump" was the sound his heart had made when the creature grabbed him.  
  
Anger flooded through him once more.  
  
Taking a deep, calming breath, Luke reached down and picked up the bag of money. He hadn't even looked in it yet. What would he do with the money? He couldn't give it to Aunt Beru, she would ask where it came from. Uncle Owen would do the same. Luke held the bag close to his face for a moment, analyzing it.  
  
The fabric was a Tatooine fabric, commonly found in expensive clothing. There was a metal clip at the top that could be easily snapped open. The bag wasn't very heavy, but that didn't mean anything. Finally, Luke pried the bag open.  
  
Inside was money, but how much, he couldn't tell. Luke was about to dump the contents onto his lap, but Aunt Beru called to him. "Luke, come on in. Dinner is ready!"  
  
"Be right there!" he called back. He quickly ran down the stairs and to his room. He looked for a good hiding spot for the money. The only place he could find was under his pillow, at least for the moment. Luke slipped the bag under the pillow and walked to the kitchen.  
  
The meal was uneventful, making Luke increasingly anxious to count the money. He was finally excused and nearly ran to his room. He had told his aunt that he was tired from the day's journey. She accepted the answer and let him go.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
5,143 credits...all that money was in a little bag. But it was blood money, wasn't it? Blood money... he had *killed* for money! Well, the creature had died before he had even noticed the money. So it wasn't blood money. But he had killed the creature! That would never change. But how did he kill him?  
  
All Luke remembered was the anger, the overwhelming anger. It had pounded through him like a sand storm, destroying all coherent thought. The anger had pushed through him and pushed the creature away. Pushed the creature away? Luke snorted at the ludicrous idea. How could an emotion do anything? Emotions aren't tangible; they have no physical properties. So, how did he do it?  
  
Luke lay on his bed for a long time, trying to figure it out, but kept on in circles over and over again. He tossed the moneybag up and down, catching and tossing in an endless cycle. Luke was about to toss it up again, when a thought entered his mind. Once more, he questioned what he would do with the money. He couldn't give the money to his aunt and uncle, they would ask where it was from. He had a small account of his own that he kept his allowance in. He could just put it in there! The money could go towards the speeder! That was about two years worth of money right there! Two years!  
  
Tomorrow, tomorrow he would go to Anchorhead to deposit the money. He would tell his aunt and uncle that he was looking for a job....a job...he wouldn't be a bounty or steal or anything bad like that, but there was more than one way to get money wasn't there?  
  
Luke fell asleep on his bed with the moneybag still in his hand.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Luke sat in the old speeder, watching the commotion on the street. He had deposited the money and now had several hours before he had to go home. He watched Jawas walk around, droids repair things, humans buy and sell, aliens of all kinds walk in and out of bars and stores. But how was he going to get money? A small feeling had guided him over here, but what was he waiting for?  
  
Luke was still staring out across the street when a hand tapped him on his left shoulder. "Hey, kid," a tinny voice said. Luke swung around in his seat. He was looking into the black eyes of an Imperial Stormtrooper helmet. Luke tried pushing the fear out of his voice before he replied.  
  
"Yeah?" he responded in what he hoped was his most confident and mature voice.  
  
"You are required by BL-224, subsection 63, to assist any Imperial officer," came the tinny speaker voice.  
  
"And?"  
  
"You are to guide us around the city, as we command," came the monotone reply. Luke hoped that BL-224 was the legislation he remembered from school, if not he probably was going to go to jail with what he was going to do.  
  
"According to subsection 64 of the same bi-law, I'm to be compensated," said Luke, holding out his hand.  
  
"You will be compensated fairly," came the reply. Luke let out a sigh of relief. His teacher would be proud that he had remembered his bi-laws. But, maybe he could get some more money out of this.  
  
"What is considered 'fair?'" asked Luke smoothly.  
  
"100 credits an hour." Luke was stunned by the amount, but tried to push it up just a little.  
  
"125 an hour."  
  
The Stormtrooper paused, as if analyzing the price, then curtly nodded. "Accepted. Now you shall lead us to any place we command." The Stormtrooper waved his battalion forward. Luke grinned inwardly at the money he was going to make.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Four months had passed since Luke had started leading Stormtroopers around Anchorhead. At first it was just the odd job, but soon he started getting a reputation as a reputable guide (he had doubled his price already). Luke discovered parts of Anchorhead he had never known existed. Sometimes he didn't know where a certain building was, but he let his feelings guide him. He had started to trust his feelings and was better off because of it. But his life wasn't perfect.  
  
Luke mainly guided the 'Stormtroopers to business locations and left it at that, but sometimes...sometimes he would lead them somewhere and they would attack. They said it was a rebel location or a spice dealer, or something equally horrible. But the first time he saw someone die when a blaster shot hit him, he was nearly became sick. It reminded him of the *creature.* But he kept on working.  
  
He made a little more money on the side. Luke took the money off of the dead when the 'Stormtroopers went on a "clean-up." At first, he felt horribly guilty, but then he remembered that they were the scum of the universe and better off dead, and the money was crooked anyway. That lessened the guilt. Sometimes he would get up to 5,000 credits, but that was rare. He had made about 125,000 credits already. A couple more months, then he could go and buy the SYG-2088.  
  
But that wasn't all that had changed. His reputation as an Imperial helper had caused him trouble at school. A lot of people resented Imperial control, and anyone who was seen as working with them was treated as if they massacred families on a regular basis. Luke found it unnerving at first, but he soon learned to handle threats and attacks. At school he became more aggressive, often inciting fights, usually over money.  
  
But today, today was a big day. Today he was supposed to lead a commander from a *Star Destroyer* through Anchorhead. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do, but he knew it would give him a lot of money.  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
Luke has become more money centered! What a bad omen! And a commander for a star destroyer will meet with him! Who will it be?  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope I can fulfill any wishes dealing with the story! 


	6. Family Tree

Well, I change my planning for the next couple of chapters. Don't worry, though. I think you'll like it like this.  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
White surrounded him. Seamless white. No edges or indentions.  
  
Perfect...unlike the universe he lived in. People who were after him because of money or involvement with the Empire always followed him with annoying closeness.  
  
But this white retreat gave him rest and relaxation. Outside this little room, in what could be called his home, work was done almost at a frenzied pace. Food was constantly being served it seemed, though he seemed to lose his "taste" for it. Rations so far from Coruscant left much to be desired, not that he would know the difference.  
  
But here, here he was safe from those quirks of humanity. Here he could relax and be one with his thoughts. Here he felt tuggings of emotions suppressed throughout the day. Here he thought of flying sand and blue skies. But peace never lasted for long.  
  
"Lord Vader? Caption Blanser is here."  
  
Peace never lasted...  
  
"Send him in."  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Darth Vader was not the calmest of men, nor did he try to be. Anger was his release. It gave him power and forced people to respect him. No one could deny his power and strength. And if they did...they were no longer an issue.  
  
But if he didn't have some control over his emotions, he couldn't get anything done. If there was nothing he could change about a situation, why should he go on a rampage because of it? If an officer disobeyed him, he could remove the officer. If an earthquake occurred on a planet he was going to and happened to destroy the spaceport, what could he change about it?  
  
But, at the moment, nothing was going wrong. Vader had been successfully sending missions to several Outer Rim locations where Rebel activity was concentrated. But there was something that he didn't expect in one of the reports.  
  
On Tatooine (oh, how he despised that place), a local kid had been recruited to take the stormtroopers to the needed areas. But the kid kept on helping them. On a planet like Tatooine, where the Empire was despised, the boy was likely to be ridiculed about his support. The boy must have amazing courage if he can stand up to all those taunts that he must receive.  
  
Yet, that was not what surprised him the most.  
  
His name surprised him. The boy used the codename *Skywalker.* He found that unusual. Vader was a legend of a sort on Tatooine for his pod racing, but that was over 25 years ago, and he doubted people would recall that single race. Vader had tried searching through a database for Tatooine, but as could beexpected with a Rim planet, his name didn't come up. Vader had wondered what to do. Then the idea came to him.  
  
He would send an officer. Not one of too much importance, but one who would gladly do anything for Lord Vader. The officer would lead a battalion of stormtroopers to a designated site to dispose of Rebels, but he would also ask this *Skywalker* questions concerning who he was.  
  
Now he hoped Blanser would do his job.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Luke sat impatiently in his speeder, reminiscent of the time he first met the stormtroopers. But now he wasn't looking for a job, instead he was waiting for his job to arrive. All he had been told was that an Imperial Star Destroyer commander would meet him and he was to guide him wherever he requested.  
  
Luke tapped his foot impatiently on the floor of the speeder. Then the familiar tinny voice crackled through the air. "Skywalker?" Luke turned around and stared at the helmet.  
  
"Yes," he replied, calm and maturely. The stormtrooper analyzed him for a moment.  
  
"By BL-224, subsection 63, you are to assist any Imperial officer and guide him around the city, as commanded."  
  
Luke answered in almost the exact terms he did four months ago. "By subsection 64 of the same bi-law, I am to be compensated." At first he responded just to make sure he was going to be paid, but now it almost seemed as if it were a greeting between old friends.  
  
The tinny voice gave what Luke thought was the standard reply. "You will be fairly compensated with 300 credits."  
  
Luke almost responded by saying 250 credits, before he realized that they had raised their normal price. "Done," he squeaked out. Now he truly knew that this was an important person. 300 credits! He should keep this trend going! But before Luke could start gloating about his fortune, the commander strode out.  
  
The man was of a smallish build. He had fair hair and brown eyes that would have been considered beautiful if on a woman. He had an air about him of extreme confidence, but beneath the surface was the fear of failure. Luke gazed coolly at him for a moment before getting out of his speeder. On the inside of his jacket, a new blaster rubbed against him. The "clean up" jobs had been increasing and Luke had started wondering about his safety. Twice had he been shot at and only his sharp reflexes saved him. He had bought it earlier from a reputable store. It only cost 3,000 credits, less than what he had expected. Luke doubted he would use it soon, but he would rather be safe.  
  
"You are Skywalker?" asked the commander. Luke nodded simply. "Today, you will direct us in your speeder where we need to go," so far, the normal routine, thought Luke, "and you are not to get involved in our activities. I am Captain Blanser." The strictly monotone voice paused for a moment. "You are now going to direct us to Drixolass." The captain turned sharply on his heal and walked back to where the remainder of the stormtroopers where. Luke wondered what the captain had done to deserve coming to Tatooine.  
  
"Drixolass," Luke murmured. He had never heard of that place before...but, it was in the southern part of the city, right outside of the outlaw territory, like most of the other places he directed the Imps to. He started up his engine and began to take off. He wondered what was being done there.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Luke stood outside the building, waiting for the stormtroopers to finish their "job." As any good commander would do, Captain Blanser was standing outside next to Luke. The job would probably take about fifteen minutes, so Luke just stood there, thinking about the day. Blanser interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Skywalker, is that even your real name?"  
  
Luke jerked at the sudden conversation, but quickly gained control. "Yes, it's my family surname." Why hide the truth? The Imps would likely find out if they looked hard enough.  
  
"But there aren't any other Skywalkers on Tatooine," commented Blanser. Ah, so they already had searched for him.  
  
"My parents are dead; I was raised by my aunt and uncle."  
  
"Do you know what your parents did?" What was it with these personal questions?  
  
"My father was a freight pilot who died during the Clone Wars and my mother was just a common house worker." Blanser nodded, then looked at the building where the stormtroopers were. He suddenly turned back to Luke.  
  
"How are your aunt and uncle related to your parents?"  
  
Luke was seriously wondering now what Blanser was trying to get at. Maybe they just wanted to make sure he was a legal guide or something... "My uncle is my father's step-brother." Blanser nodded once more.  
  
"Ah, here they come," Blanser said after a moment's silence. The stormtroopers came out carrying several items, but what they were, Luke couldn't tell.  
  
Blanser directed Luke back to his speeder. "Guide us back to the meeting spot." Luke drove back to the main street, wondering the entire time what had actually happened.  
  
~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~ ! ~  
  
I know a lot of people begged me to put Piett in, but he's overused, and I think Vader likes him, so he would just send him to do the dirty work. I didn't make Vader go because it just wasn't the right time. The next chapter is hopefully going to be and awesome chapter. Please leave any comments! 


	7. End of an Era

I AM SO SORRY. I know I haven't posted in over a year. I feel so bad! I was trying to rebuild my ideas for the story. I lost my focus.

Well, here's a really nice chapter to make up for it! (It really hasn't been beta-read yet. Sorry!)

Warning: Some cursing later on in the chapter.

* * *

"Lieutenant, this is a s-black transmission. Only Lord Vader may see the contents of this message. He knows I am sending it to him. You only have to deliver it." The captain stood in front of a young lieutenant, holding to data pads in his hand. 

Lieutenant Trahan acknowledged the captain. "Yes, sir. May I ask, sir, why this is not being sent electronically?" Captain Blanser gave him a piercing gaze.

"Have you never handled a s-black transmission before?"

Trahan shifted slightly, "No, sir." Blanser just sighed.

"Do you at least know what s-black transmission is?" enquired Blanser.

"No, sir," Trahan answered slightly abashed.

"S-black is so highly classified that the material is to sensitive to send over holonet or it might be intercepted or blocked. There is a secure chip that only the emperor or Lord Vader can unlock. This is the most secure way of transporting the material."

Trahan nodded, but asked another question. "Do I wait for a reply, sir?"

"You do whatever Lord Vader wishes," sighed Blanser, "Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Go now." With that, Trahan turned on his heal and walked out of the room.

Trahan walked down the long corridors of the Super Star Destroyer. He had two copies of the transmission, both encoded separately. If he performed well on this job, he would definitely get promoted soon. Anyone who survived an encounter with Vader would be promoted, if he wasn't to severely damaged. 

Trahan was the son of a retired Admiral who followed in his father's footsteps, trying to make his own impression on the Imperial Navy. So far, he was only given mediocre positions that required little difficult thought or planning. He felt that his father most likely asked his old war buddies that he be placed in cushy positions, but he had not discovered any definitive proof of this…arrangement, yet.

He continued walking down the third corridor and entered the hallway that led up to Lord Vader's chambers. Most officers on this ship never got near those levels. Trahan thought about the large amount of space the chambers took up and wondered how many of these rooms Lord Vader actually needed.

Entering his identification card into the proper slot, a door slid back. A sleek black office with a very advanced holoscreen and a trintium alloy desk greeted him. Data pads were neatly stacked on the left side of the desk. There were no personal effects of any kind. The room reeked of sterile impersonality. The sound of a door sliding back snapped him out of his reverie.

Lord Vader, in his frightening majesty, strode forward. He walked straight towards the frightened lieutenant. "I believe you have a message for me?" his deep voice rumbled. Without a word, Trahan handed the data pads over. Vader paused a moment, perhaps, Trahan thought, unlocking the chip. Vader then glanced at them quickly and looked back at the lieutenant. "Stay here." With that, Vader left the room.

Trahan bowed as the lord left and stood at attention as he waited for his lord's return.

* * *

Trahan felt slightly indebted to his father in a way he had never felt before. He thought that a life of adventure was his, but after twice meeting the dark lord, Trahan felt any feeling of normalcy leave him. The lord was imposing and depressing, but no emotions could show on Trahan's face while meeting with him. 

Now, he would have to see Vader again. Not only for a brief meeting, but also for a whole exchange! Granted he wouldn't have to speak to him for the entire time, but being in that close of proximity was detrimental to one's health.

The official assignment title was "Temporary Attaché to Lord Vader, Involving Contact with Potential Civilian Liaison and Correspondent." Translation: he was supposed to be the servant during the meeting between Lord Vader and a local wise guy. Not his idea of fun.

Right now, Trahan sat on the shuttle, watching as they were preparing to land in an uncouth city. They would travel to meet up with the "Potential Civilian Liason." From there, Trahan was unsure of what would happen. Fortunately, he was too insignificant to mean much to Lord Vader, so extra contact with the Sith lord would be avoided.

But that still didn't lessen his fears. His health insurance premiums would be frighteningly high, due to contact with Lord Vader. The chance of his life being lost would be increasingly higher. It was bad enough that he was located on the same ship as Lord Vader, but this extra contact only made things worse. Oh, why couldn't he have been a businessman?

* * *

Luke woke up to his usual chronometer alarm. It was a little too early for the teen-ager, but he didn't have much of a choice. Today was his first duty assignment in Mos Eisley. The captain from the last "job" told him he would be needed in the larger city. Luke was torn in by indecision. Should he go and get the higher income? Or should he tell them he had never been to Mos Eisley and had no idea of what to do? 

Coincidentally, a speeder flew past him as he was trying to respond to the captain. That made up his mind. SYG-2088, that was his goal and he had to remember it. So now, Luke had to go to Mos Eisley and meet with the Imps.

There were two problems though. The first problem was telling his aunt and uncle. So far, he had kept them out of the loop that he was guiding the Imps around. He just told them he had a job in Anchorhead in the afternoons after school. He was allowed to take the speeder into the city then. But how would he convince them to give the speeder to him for the day? He probably wouldn't return till late, since it took a couple of hours for a round trip to Mos Eisley.

That led to his second problem: how was he supposed to get around Mos Eisley? He knew of some buildings there, but he had no idea where they were. He could get a map, but then again, so could the Imps. But the Imps hired him to be a guide to the lesser-known areas, the areas not on the map.

"Well," Luke muttered to himself, "it doesn't really matter if I can't find the buildings if I can't even borrow the speeder!" Luke had a little more than half an hour to figure out what he was going to do, and he still had no ideas.

* * *

Lord Vader boarded the shuttle calmly, betraying nothing of the gale of emotions under his mask to the troops on the shuttle with him. Who was this boy? Why did he use the name Skywalker? Why did he feel like there was something important about the boy? And, worst of all, why was the Force identity around the boy hidden? It seemed almost as if someone was hiding the Force signature of the boy, the Force signature that every creature had. 

Vader sat down in his seat behind the pilot. After the final checklist, the shuttle departed the Star Destroyer and preceded to the surface of the planet he hoped he would never see again, the planet of his mother's death—_Tatooine_. The flight was uneventful and the shuttle docked into one of the many landing sites. The crew disembarked, including his annoying, new attaché. Vader was the only one to remain on the ship. If too many people caught sight of him, the boy might be too afraid to appear. Even on the Rim worlds, the word of Vader's ruthless reputation had spread.

Vader moved to the onboard computer; he tried hacking into the holonet and other databases that were only available planet side to find some information on "Skywalker." Unfortunately, Tatooine never had been a planet with accurate databases and modern technology. The only things he could find about "Skywalker" were about himself, years before when he won the pod race. No school records were listed anywhere, no license records, no birth certificates. Nothing. It was like "Skywalker" didn't exist on Tatooine. Yet, Vader still felt that there was more to the boy than just a racing fan using a name of a slave from a race twenty years earlier. It just was too implausible.

So, Vader sat there and waited.

* * *

With one simple word, Luke felt that his future was set in stone: "No." 

Luke was standing in front of his uncle, fists clenched. "Why?" Luke yelled back at his uncle. His aunt had seen the impending fight and had moved out, muttering she had something else to do.

"Why, Luke?" his uncle mocked. "There is a thing called responsibility. I understand you have this job, which you still won't say what it is exactly. But remember that this farm comes first. If this farm goes down, you will have nothing. You will have no house, no possessions, no future—"

"No future?" Luke interrupted. His temper was flaring now. "No future? What do you think I am, a slave? I have gone to school, I know what I'm doing. I have a job now, don't I? So don't you dare say I have no future without this sith-cursed place! I should have left years ago!"

"Leave then! Leave like your father did! Become a waste like he did," Owen screamed, spitting with fury. His face had gone red and he was clutching a chair as if it were his last grasp on sanity. "Go work for the empire! Die for the sith who whores himself out to the emperor."

"Guess what, uncle?" Luke said with frightening calm and composure. He slowly unclenched his fists; a smirk crept up his face. "I have been working for the empire. My job? I guide the imperial troops around, showing them gangs of thieves and criminals." He strode forward until his face was nearly touching his uncle's. "You know what else? I killed a man. Wait, that's not quite right. I killed an alien! And I stole his money! So uncle, screw yourself." With that, Luke turned around on his heal and strode out of the room, and into his room. His uncle stood with his mouth open, as if petrified to the ground.

Luke quickly grabbed all of his possessions that he needed, including the money. He grabbed the speeder and left. He would never return. He would never see his aunt and uncle again.

* * *

Luke was tired after the long journey, but he still had a full day ahead of him. He quickly made it to the spaceports where he was supposed to meet the troops, only stopping once to get a map. 

He leaned up against the wall in a corner, waiting to see the troops, and glancing over the map in his hands. A quick flash of white alerted him to the presence of his "guests." With a smooth movement, he shoved the map into his pocket and walked forward to the troops. The busy port avoided the troops as much as possible. The fear was almost palpable in the air. With cool confidence, Luke strode forward to whom he assumed was the leader of the troop, ignoring the wandering officer in the background.

"Hi, I'm Skywalker." The commander (Luke had been right) looked him up and down, and then saluted him.

"Commander Tyles, reporting, sir. Permission to report your arrival to command." Luke felt stunned with the formalities, but nodded quickly. The commander turned around to alert the shuttle through the comm. Why was he treated as if he were a commanding officer, Luke wondered. After a short conversation, the commander turned around. Then Luke felt it before he saw it. He had felt that presence before, hadn't he?

The great black shadow descended down the ramp and strode towards them. The 'troopers and the officer cleared a path to Luke and quickly snapped to attention. The black mass, with the fluttering cape stopped in front of Luke. "I am Darth Vader."

Luke stood in stunned silence, then managed to force out, "Skywalker."

For the first time since Luke's birth, father and son had met, but neither of them had a clue about their relationship and what lay in their combined future.

* * *

Please review! Thank you! 


	8. Warm and Fuzzy on the Inside

It's been two months, but in the grand scheme of things that isn't long… Okay, I'm late. I'm sorry.  But here is chapter 8. (I'm hoping this matches posting compliances now. I'm sorry about last time.)

I had a beta, but it has been so long that I don't remember who! If any one remembers beta-ing for me and wishes to do so again, please tell me.

-

Five years after meeting (5 y.a.m.) 

"Master Skywalker? The imperial courier is here to see you, sir."

Luke Skywalker turned his chair around to face a quivering aide. He sat at a desk in a sparse room with sharp, metallic lines. Outside of the window behind him, the stars blurred as the ship _Star Dust_ blasted its way through hyperspace. In his hand rested a data pad, on his desk lay two more, but no personal affects could be found in the room. Even his black clothing demonstrated his lack of personal connection to the room. The aide shifted from side to side as Luke looked at him pensively. The young man dared to utter a small "sir" after a few more moments. Luke blinked slowly. Turning to face the window again, Luke inclined his head minutely. The aide rushed off to let the courier in, breathing a sigh of relief.

A man in the Imperial Navy uniform strode in and snapped to attention. "Imperial Courier from Coruscant for Master Skywalker." Luke did not turn around to face him.

"Yes, what does the Empire want from me?" Luke's voice did not match the voice of the young man from five years before. Now he spoke with a voice that brought women galaxy wide to their knees (not that he noticed). Softness filled the voice, but a hard edge could be detected. He spoke no louder than a whisper, but the courier could understand him from across the room, even with Luke's back to him.

"The Empire would like to arrange a meeting between you and a representative of Imperial power. The time and the location is of your choosing. I am to stay at your location until the decision in made." The courier snapped to attention again and did not move. Luke tapped the data pad in his hand absentmindedly.

"A meeting?" he whispered. _Oh, that brings back memories_, he thought.

-

The day of the meeting 

Lord Vader and Luke Skywalker sat across from each other, unwilling to give an inch. Each man thought about his personal goal for the meeting, but neither goal had anything to do with one another.

In deference of rank, Lord Vader began the meeting. "Skywalker, how well do you know Tatooine?" The sith lord desired to lead Skywalker around, so not to reveal his true motives, knowing Skywalker's identity and relationship to himself.

"I have lived here all my life, so I know it quite well—sir," Luke quickly added. He did not want to insult a potential employer; after all, he wanted more money.

"How well do you know the cities other than Anchorhead? I know that your services were used specifically in respect to that city. Is Mos Eisley known to you?"

"Yes, I served the Empire in Anchorhead, but I can make my way through Mos Eisley quite well." Luke sat still in his chair never shifting is focus from the dark man in front of him. Vader remained unmoving and relentless. Over the next forty minutes, Vader fired a barrage of questions at Luke, in an attempt to make him reveal more information. Luke tried to continually make his competence known. The two, however, never actually revealed anything. Finally, Luke's patience wore thin.

"I mean no disrespect, sir, but will you employ my services, or should I leave and find others in need of my aid? I believe I have proven my worth." With that, Luke slouched back into his chair, folded his arms, and stared defiantly at Darth Vader. Vader felt his interest piqued even more: not many people dared to be so insolent, for fear of punishment. This young man in front of him had not caved in to the powers of Vader's persuasion, a difficult task. That defiance made Vader's decision for him.

"You are now in the employ of the Empire. The commander will give you your task." With a swoop and swish of his cloak, the second-hand man of the emperor strode off. Luke smirked to himself as the commander of the stormtroopers came rushing in to give him his assignment.

-

_5 y.a.m._

The meeting itself did not change Luke's life, but the aftermath did. As Luke began to muse over the events five years before, a thud broke his reverie. The courier had fainted on the ground from lack of movement. _Fool,_ thought Luke. With a quick flick of his finger, Luke opened the door and pushed the courier out of the room. The aide had stationed himself at the door and looked down in surprise at the man who was sliding across the floor with no visible power. Luke's voice came to the aide, "Remove him and tell him his services are no longer needed." The door swished closed as mysteriously as it had opened.

Luke dropped the data pad onto the desk, stood up, and stretched. The heels of his boots clicking on the metal floor, Luke moved to a door in the wall. The door slid open as he neared it. An attached private room lay beyond the doorway. Luke entered the room and flopped down on a couch by the long window. Unlike his office, this room had mementos, color, and warmth. Everything the office was, this room was not. His office was the side of him the galaxy saw; this room was his personal side that few had ever glimpsed. Rugs covered the floor; the walls were painted bright, warm colors; the room was cozy. The layout was like a small house with a kitchen and a living room all in one. A doorway on the other side of the room led to a spacious bedroom and bathroom. The only thing missing from the room was images of people.

Luke kicked off his boots and stared at the ceiling. Releasing a deep sigh, Luke sat up and looked at the computer screen mounted into the wall. He walked over and told it to send a message. When the device prompted him for a recipient, Luke paused before uttering the word "father."

At the next prompt, Luke began dictating a letter. The softness of his voice disappeared and the edge sharpened. "Well, father, I will meet you, but at my place. You will meet me on my flagship—not the _Star Dust,_ but the _Star Raider_. You will come alone. I will destroy any other people you bring and that is no empty threat, as you well know." Luke ended and sent the message. Clicking a button, he called the bridge of the ship over the com link. "Captain, bring me to the _Star Raider_." Without waiting for a reply, Luke closed the connection. Now all he had to do was wait.

-

In a cape with a high cowl, Luke Skywalker marched down the ramp from the _Star Dust_ to another ship. His personal transport ship had delivered him speedily to his flagship of his fleet. A group of workers had come to meet him and take him to the bridge, but Luke waved them off and made his way up to the bridge alone. He entered the bridge and discussed the course of action with the captain. After the brief meeting, he left the bridge and went to his private quarters for meditation.

_Star Dust_ was an impressive ship designed for speed, but _Star Raider, _his pride and joy, outclassed her in every way, except one. _Star Raider _had better weaponry, engines, shields, and transport capabilities, but she was conspicuous. Someone of Luke's stature and importance wanted to be able to slide in and out of civilization undetected and _Star Raider_ just did not work.

Luke had started out as a humble guide for the empire on a backward planet all those years ago, but now he no longer did those menial tasks. He lived outside of the law. Because of the illegal activities he sometimes partook in, he was an outlaw, but he did not care. To most creatures, he was known as the _Outlaw_. With his growing fame, the once common term now only described him. Some people used it as a compliment, other as a curse. Luke Skywalker had all he ever dreamed of on the vapor farm on Tatooine. He now controlled an empire of his own; workers, ships, cities, even planets were under his control. He was the law, general, judge, and executioner. While His power did not rival the Empire, it was still felt by the galaxy. But none of this was on his mind.

His thoughts lay on his father's imminent arrival. For the last three years, he had known his father's true identity, but he refused to let him be part of his life. Their lives as an outlaw and an imperial worker were at odds with each other and the two rarely took up contact. If they would ally themselves together, they could easily be the most powerful people in the galaxy, but neither of them was willing to give up their current occupation.

The hours slipped away. Finally, Luke felt a small pulse pass through his mind. His father was closing in on his position. A few more hours would pass before Darth Vader would arrive on the _Star Raider_. Luke lay down on his bed and slept.

-

Luke Skywalker stood on the landing platform waiting for his father to disembark his shuttle. The man had heeded his advice and had not brought along any of his lackeys that often followed him around. For the first time in two years, Luke Skywalker met his father.

While Luke Skywalker had changed dramatically in the last five years, nothing changed for Darth Vader. His appearance and importance remained as they had been. Vader still eclipsed his son in height, but the auras of intelligence and power swirling around the both of them were nearly equal. Vader came up to his son and stopped in front of him. The tension between them grew before Vader finally relieved the pressure.

"Hello, son," was all he said.

Luke replied in kind, "Hello, father."

Luke's personal aide came rushing up to the two of them. Both men turned to face the terrified man. "Ex—excuse me, my Lords, but the meeting room has been prepared," he stuttered out. He bowed quickly leaving as fast as he possibly could. Indicating that Luke should lead the way, Vader followed his son through the ship.

"Impressive design," commented Vader.

"It took two years to complete," responded Luke. "The extra time was worth the added features that my other ships lack."

Vader hoped to sneak details from his son again. "What extra features?" he queried. For the first time in a long time, Luke cracked a smile.

Mockingly, Luke replied in a strong voice, "Oh, wouldn't you like to know? But then you would have an unfair advantage on my operations, wouldn't you, knowing the secrets about my flag ship."

"But, my son, that is part of the enjoyment of visiting an enemy's lair."

The smile on Luke's face disappeared quickly. In his soft voice, he replied, "We are enemies, aren't we?" The rest of the trip to the meeting room was in silence, as both men thought of their unusual relationship.

Dark metal doors with implanted designs hinted at the opulence hidden inside them. The room inside was a dark red color, with a square metal table in the middle, with two chairs facing each other. Luke indicated that his father should take a seat. Vader chose the chair facing the door, which was the only exit in the room. Luke smirked and sat down.

"So, my dear Lord Vader," began Luke coldly, "what services can I offer the Empire? I'll admit I was slightly surprised by the courier requesting my services. Officially, the Empire has condemned my work for the last few years. Why risk allying yourself with a known outlaw?"

Vader's respirator completed a cycle before he answered. "The Empire is having difficulties with the rebellions of late. They are hurting trade and causing some difficulties with militaristic plans."

Emulating his pose from their first meeting, Luke leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "So, you wish to use my services to halt the rebellion? What's in it for me?"

Vader paused again. Reaching behind his cloak, he pulled out an object. He plunked it on the table. Luke looked down and recognized it as his father's lightsaber. "I will train you in the force."

-

Well? What did you think? Please give me constructive criticism. Thank you!


	9. Former Masters

'Tis the time again; the time were I might have a modicum of time available for stories. Kinda, sorta, not really. But at least this time I'm inspired. Nothing like really boring classes to convince me to write.

(-)

Luke paused for a second after his father's grand statement. "You want to train me?" Luke asked with a hint of incredulity in his voice. He leaned forward across the table, staring into the eyes of his father's mask. Suddenly, Luke roared with laughter. He leaned back in his chair, holding on to his ribs, laughing as if he had not laughed in years. He laughed and laughed. Through the entire outburst, Vader sat still, still holding on to the lightsaber he had placed on the table. Finally, Luke gained control of his laughter, wiping the tears that squeezed out during his emotional release. "You…want…to train me?" Chuckling, the coldness crept back into his face.

"You have no idea do you?" Luke began. "I have trained." With that statement, Luke remembered his discovery of his powers.

_2 years after meeting_

Luke sat in a cantina, sipping a clear drink carefully from a tiny glass in his right hand, while his left was twirling an empty glass. Each swallow felt like fire pouring down his throat, but it numbed his mind. _Oh, how I want to leave, _thought Luke. _This planet has nothing left to offer me. Even the imperials have left the planet. What else am I to do, become a bounty hunter? I will _never _lower myself to that level. _

Looking through the haze that filled his mind, Luke looked at the rest of the cantina. Usually the bar was filled with various creatures from all over the galaxy looking for fortunes in the doomed desert planet Tatooine, but today was a celebration at Jabba's Palace. He was celebrating the anniversary of his ascension to the leading Hutt of the family. The bounty hunters (_despicable weaklings_) went to the palace in an attempt to make a name for themselves in the "celebrations," or the poor men and women who dared defy his Huttness. And those who worshiped the bounty hunters also joined the celebrations; others simply went for the entertainment; Luke avoided it all. He did not care greatly for blood sport and had no interest in becoming a lackey for Jabba, especially as a bounty hunter. While the Hutt was massively wealthy, he was not willing to share great portions of his wealth—especially to a young human desiring status in the galaxy. Luke would rather sit it out and wait for his next opportunity to come up.

Luke stared at his cup, seeing that his glass was still half full. With a smirk, Luke slung back the rest of the contents in one swallow, suppressing the urge to choke or cough. As he was about to push out of his chair to leave the quiet cantina, a person enrobed in a cape blocked his path. Luke stepped aside to avoid colliding with the man—it was most definitely a man underneath the hood—but the man stepped with him. After a few moments of stepping around and imitating dancing, Luke stood still. The man just stood still. A few moments of silence followed.

Realizing that this silence was part of a mind-game, Luke just waited for the man to speak, since he was sought out, not the other way around. With a small inclination of his covered head, the man conceded defeat. "Luke Skywalker?" the man asked.

"Who wants to know?" responded Luke cockily. With practiced ease, Luke carefully laid his hand on a blaster in a leg holster. But this movement was not the ease of someone who used the gun, but rather insinuated that he did. In truth, Luke had never actually needed to use the gun, since the mere presence was effective enough. The cloaked man, however, did not respond at all to the hint, but rather lowered his hood. An older man with blue eyes and a beard stood in front of look with a confidence that Luke could only dream about.

"I am looking for a guide," the man answered, with an unknown accent tingeing his voice. "I require the guidance of a man willing to take me to the lesser known areas of this planet. I am searching for the remnants of a civilization that was destroyed not too long ago. I have been informed by the powers that be that you are a quite effective guide for this part of the world." The man raised a hand before Luke had a chance to even open his mouth. "You will, of course, be properly rewarded for your efforts."

Luke looked up and down the man, who was covered in dust and was oddly dressed in unimpressive robes. Reaching deep into his cloak, the old man pulled out a credit chip. "Will fifty thousand credits suffice?" Luke covered his surprise and nodded quickly. Trying to retain his dignity and his normal, professional manner, Luke croaked out, "I would like half of the money up front to properly ascertain certain…supplies that might be necessary for the trip." The man merely smiled and handed the credits to Luke. Glancing at it to check authenticity, Luke smirked to himself, pleased that he managed to squeeze some of the money already out of the man. Twenty-five thousand credits would be a healthy addition to his growing savings, especially for a passage away from this planet.

The old man began speaking again. "Since I have now paid partly in advance, I expect the search to begin immediately. Once the search is complete, you will receive the rest." Turning on his heel, the old man left before Luke had time to comment. Stunned for a moment, Luke stared at where the man had been a moment before. Quickly, he came to his senses and ran after the man.

"Old man!" Luke called after him, realizing how stupid he sounded, not knowing his own client's name. "Old man! Wait for me. How am I supposed to guide you if you leave me behind?"

"Good," the man said, continuing to walk down the dusty Mos Eisley street. "You have some semblance of intelligence. You may address me as Obi-wan, if you wish."

"Obi-wan? That's it? No last name?" Luke wondered out loud. "Where are you from?"

"I am from a place that no longer exists." With that statement, a flicker of pain flashed through the old man's, Obi-wan's, eyes, but it was quickly masked again. "And yes, Obi-wan will suffice."

"Well, Obi-wan. What are we looking for?" Suddenly Obi-wan stopped, catching Luke off-guard. Luke spun around to face the man.

A sad smile graced Obi-wan's face. "Jedi."

(-)

5 y.a.m.

Luke broke from his thoughts for a second to look up into the eyeholes of his father. "Father," he whispered. "Do you remember Obi-wan Kenobi?" His father's respirator kept its static rhythm, not revealing any response. Finally, his father responded. A single "Yes" hissed out of the respirator. "Well, he trained me in the ways of a Jedi. What use is being a Sith to me?"

Pushing back the chair, Luke stood up and turned around, taking long strides out the door.

He did not look back at his father, but he did look back into his past.

(-)

2 y.a.m.

At first, Luke thought that the search for Jedi would last a day or two, waiting for the old man to grow tired off chasing lost ruins, but the simple trip turned into an opportunity Luke never would have imagined. Not only did he sell his prize, his pride and joy—the symbol of his ambition and success—the SYG-3215, the follow-up model to the speeder Luke lusted after during his early teen-age years, but he had also left the planet of his youth Tatooine. The dust planet no longer held any power over the seventeen year-old boy. He finally had achieved what he had desired for the last two years, since he bought his speeder—complete freedom and a life away from what he had known. All of this change because of a crazy old man in search of the forbidden past and Luke did not complain one bit.

They had traveled across many worlds, never staying for long. Luke had seen more in one month of his life than he had ever dreamed was possible for his entire life. He had seen the galaxy's largest waterfall, followed by civilizations built in permanent storms, great planets of water and forest, and had even witnessed an imperial battle between the Rebel Forces and a Star Destroyer.

The old man Obi-wan and Luke had recently landed on a near core planet called Yetha. Yetha was a small planet with little to offer, but for some reason the old man had declared it their next location to search for "the lost Jedi." Luke had a funny feeling about Yetha, but was still not comfortable enough around Obi-wan to voice his suspicions.

Unfortunately, Luke should have told Obi-wan before they were ambushed, but by then it was much too late for Luke to do anything effective. Fortunately, for Luke, Obi-wan was not too shocked by the sudden appearance of the thugs. With cool confidence, the same confidence that impressed Luke when he first met Obi-wan, the old man looked at the five men who had their blasters out. Luke reached for his blaster, but Obi-wan stayed him. With a small hand wave, Obi-wan stated, "We mean no harm. We are simple travelers."

Luke was about to complain that stating the fact that the were travelers would not be helpful, but then one of the men stated to his accomplices, "They mean no harm. They are simple travelers." The others nodded and walked away. Stunned Luke glanced at Obi-wan, amazed that the tactic worked.

"But how?" began Luke. Obi-wan looked at Luke for a moment before responding. "Those with weak minds are easily persuaded. But like most things, persuasion is a skill that can be learned."

Luke's eyes became bright and excited. "Can you teach me things like that?" Obi-wan nodded, "The skill is not to be abused. It is a skill, and it can be used for harm as well. One must be careful." Obi-wan led the way, with Luke excitedly bouncing behind him, showing off his youth.

Several hours later when they finished their searching for the day—Luke did not think they actually found anything, but he was still being payed—the two men stopped in an inn and rented a room for the evening. The inn was not luxurious, but it was well constructed with no noticeable deficiencies. After discussing some of the things they had seen that day, Obi-wan abruptly went off-topic. "Luke," he began, "would you like to learn those skills I mentioned earlier, including persuasion?" A big grin crossed Luke's face, and he nodded fiercely. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Obi-wan motioned that Luke should join him. Without hesitation, Luke emulated the old man and joined him on the floor. "First, you must clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts and focus on the task at hand. You then will stretch out with your mind and feel your feelings and then focus on me. Once you know what I am feeling, you shall progress to making me feel a certain way. After that, you shall attempt to command me to think a certain thought. These levels are not easy to pass and they may be used against you as well, so do not be surprised if I retaliate. Acceptable?"

Luke nodded. "Acceptable. So I just have to clear my thoughts?" That seemed quite simple to do.

Obi-wan nodded sagely. "Yes, but this task will be harder than you originally think." Luke closed his eyes and began clearing his mind.

(-)

They stayed on Yetha for an entire month, with Luke slowly learning to control thoughts with his mind. He was only allowed to practice with Obi-wan, but he was slowly straining to try his skills on someone else. _What's the use of a skill if it is not used? And how do I know I really can do it, and Obi-wan is not just lying to me?_ Luke thought. _I just need to test my skills out. _Luke only had to wait for his opportunity.

One warm afternoon, his opportunity came up. Obi-wan had requested supplies at a local store, but then had another conflict. He sent Luke to pick up the items requested. Luke walked into the store and spoke with the clerk, asking for the held items. When the man came back, he stated his price. The price stated was higher than Luke had anticipated and was shocked for a moment. He then decided that he should demand a lower price. _But why should I haggle or negotiate when I can persuade?_ Luke thought. _I will simply tell him to give it to me for a much lower price._ Using his newly learned skills, Luke stretched his mind out to the clerk and, with a clear voice, commanded, "You took a long time getting the supplies. You will make me pay for a quarter of the supplies." Much to his great pleasure, the man repeated the statement, granting Luke a large discount. Taking the supplies with him, Luke confidently strode to the inn, where Obi-wan was waiting for him. Luke handed the supplies over to his elder and sat on the floor, clearing his mind as he had been taught. After going over the contents that Luke brought, Obi-wan joined him. Wordlessly, they began their ritual. Luke stretched out with his mind, like he had done with the clerk. Suddenly the routine was broken. Luke caught a glimpse of a thought in Obi-wan's mind, something he did not know was possible.

A tall man stood in front of him, with brown hair flowing past his shoulders. The room was bright, and the air was cool to the touch. The man was his master, with a deep voice gently instructing. "You must focus on your task at hand. It is easy to become distracted, so you must always focus on the job that is required of you. If you can accomplish this, you may become a great Jedi, Obi-wan Kenobi."

As suddenly as Luke was in Obi-wan's mind, he was out of it again. Luke thought about what occurred, then the final words of the memory came into his mind. "Obi-wan…_Kenobi_?" Luke muttered under his breath. He looked up at the man training him. "Kenobi? Old Ben Kenobi? You are the crazy old wizard from the desert of Tatooine?" Sudden realization came to him. "And you are a Jedi? We weren't looking for Jedi, you were looking for a student. You were looking for me!" Luke quickly stood up. "I don't appreciate lies, _Kenobi_. If you had told me the truth, I'd have…" He broke of suddenly, unsure of what he would have done.

Obi-wan got up wearly. "You would have done what, Luke? Come with me? The crazy old wizard? No, Luke. I'm sorry I withheld the truth, but you needed training."

"So I could become a Jedi, hunted by the Empire? I'm sorry, but I don't mind the Empire. It has treated me well."

"But, Luke, you have no idea what the Empire truly does! It has destroyed the lives of billions, including your parents."

"My parents? You now claim to know my parents? I don't believe you! You've lied before. I don't care what you say, how do I know it's true. I don't! Good-bye, Jedi Master, but I will not go with you anymore. I don't care about the money. I'm leaving now."

Turning on his heal, Luke stormed out of the inn, heading to the spaceport to catch the first transport of the gods-forsaken planet Yetha.

(-)

So, did you like the chapter?


	10. Not Alone Anymore

I know I already released this chapter, but I wasn't quite satisfied with it. Now it works. This is what it should have been. If you didn't read it the first time, try this time.

(-)

_5 y.a.m._

Even in the crowded boardroom on his flagship _Star Raider_, Luke Skywalker was alone. He never betrayed this emotion. No, he was in complete control of all aspects of his appearance. He seemed hard, but when needed an air of joviality came across him. The people around were either frightened or at ease, depending on what he needed from them. But he still had no one he could truly call his friend, who was there not for the money, but rather for the companionship.

Luke was utterly and completely alone. The only person who wanted him not for his money was a man who wanted him for his power, and this was the man Luke wanted to share his company with the most: his father.

Yet, this knowledge only led to more solitude. Perhaps one day, he could share the company of others, but now was not that time. Now was the time for business. With that thought, Luke focused his attention on the meeting around him.

"…following the orders previously given," spoke Lethar Mart, one of Luke's captains, reporting on the activity in one of the quadrants, his elbows propped up on the large oval conference table. "On some other planets, we have been having contact with the Rebellion. They seem anxious to use our services, Master, but they are still highly unstable and if they have another large defeat like the one two months ago, they will crumble and default on all the payments they would owe us." The captain paused, as if steeling himself, "If I may be so bold, I recommend that we avoid direct dealings and allying ourselves with the Rebellion. It would be more advantageous to play both sides of the war."

"But if we allied ourselves with the Rebellion," interrupted a newer addition to the ranks of Luke's workers, a young woman, with hair black as space, "we would risk the wrath of the Empire, but they do not deal with us now, since we are 'outlaws.' If we aid the Rebels they will be less likely to fail and we will win when they win." After that comment, the whole room burst into chaos, as person after person stood up and raised their objections, vehemently pointing and gesticulating. Luke sat back in his for a moment, letting them release their emotions. Pulling on the Force, he pushed out his power as he quietly whispered, "Shut up and sit down." An icy silence filled the room immediately, and they complied to his will. For the first time that meeting, Luke rose from his chair and leaned onto the table, staring into all of their faces.

Using his trademark style of talking, his whispers carried through out the room, with no one having a difficult time discussing.

"We will do the following and it is not up to discussion. While I appreciate your view, Ms…."

"Dirin," the black haired woman supplied.

"Yes," continued Luke, "Ms. Dirin, but I do not think that we should ally ourselves with the Rebellion. Nor shall we ally with the Empire. We will continue to do business the way we always have. That means we will sell to those who want our business, if they can pay upfront. The Rebellion will have to scrape up its few credits and then we will allow our services to be used. And Ms. Dirin, we do deal with the Empire, but as I said earlier, we are not allied.

"But remember, this is _my_ business. I do appreciate the advice, but I make the decisions, not you." Luke paused and looked closely at their frightened faces, fearing the wave of wrath that he might unleash on them. "If any of you _ever_ behaves in that manner again in my presence or on any of my ships, you will be released, through any airlock of your choice. Is that clear? I do appreciate your hard work, but do not be mistaken that you can be replaced." With curt nods, they all agreed. "Dismissed."

Luke sat back in his chair, fingers steepled as they filed out of the room. Only one person remained. Ms. Dirin walked up to Luke as he watched her through narrowed eyes. "Master Luke," she began, with confidence filling her voice, "may I request your company for dinner? I would be honored if you decided to join me." After her proposal, she stood in front of him, comfortable with the situation. Luke pondered a moment. _I am surprised that she wants to dine with me. But what else should I do but say yes. I do not know her motives, but even if they are not honorable, I will find out and enjoy myself this evening_. With a slight nod, Luke assented.

"Good," she said. "Meet my at my quarters in four hours." A tiny smile graced her lips, and she swept out of the room, laughter in her eyes. Luke just continued to sit there.

(-)

Five hours later, Luke chimed at Ms. Dirin's door, cautiously holding flowers in his hand. She opened her door, looking a little flustered, but brightened when she saw him. "I'm sorry I am late. Did you get the message from my secretary?" Luke asked, looking apologetic.

"Yes," she responded. "There was some trouble with one of your other ships, correct? Don't worry; I was just making dinner. Please come in." She gestured for him to enter. He did so, carefully. He looked around her living room. The room was filled with light and glass. Rarely in his life had he seen so much glass. Tiny little sparkles reflected around the room, casting an odd glow on the gray walls. On a small glass table by some chairs lay a meal for two, with a pulsing dim light in the middle. Suddenly Luke remembered the flowers in his hand. "Oh, here. I brought this for you." She took them and smelled them appreciatively.

"Oh, the last time I saw Tiborians was on Coruscant when I was a child. This flowers are truly rare." Laughing, she looked up at him through long lashes (Luke had never noticed how long they were before). "I won't bother asking how you got them. You are the Outlaw, after all." She pulled a vase from one of the glass shelves and gingerly placed the flowers in them, smelling them again. "Oh, I'm being an awful hostess. Please, sit down. What would you like to drink? I have some nice wines, if that is acceptable?" Luke sat down in the closest chair, nodding his head. She went off into another room and quickly came back out with a bottle. She filled up the glasses on the table and sat down across from him. "Please, enjoy." With that, Luke looked down at his plate. Some unidentifiable meat and vegetable was on it, but not being picky, Luke did not care. He cut off a small piece of meat and ate it. His eyes opened wide with surprise.

After quickly swallowing it, he looked at his hostess and said, "This is delicious!" She smiled and ate her own piece. Now intrigued instead of cautious, Luke devoured the rest of the plate. They sat in silence as they both ate. Finally, after a small desert a sufficiently satiated Luke sat down on his hostesses couch.

Luke began the conversation. "I did not even realize it, but I don't even know your first name. I can't always call you 'miss' or 'Dirin.'" She smiled self-consciously, "Oh, it's Tilara. I'm not terribly fond of the name. You may just call me Lara."

"Okay…Lara." Suddenly, silence filled the room again. Luke looked at Lara's long lashes. She had sat next to him. The distance between them suddenly felt so close. They slowly moved closer together, and that was the last thing Luke thought.

(-)

Luke strolled into his private rooms on his flagship, pleased with himself and the evening. It seemed that his wish had come true, but not in the way he had expected. He had wished he had a companion, but he did not truly belief that one would appear, especially not that quickly. But he did not complain. No, he did not complain at all. With a small smirk on his face, Luke went to his bathroom, stripping out of his worn clothes, and quickly changed into his typical black outfit. The transformation was not only external, but internal as well. The moment he placed the dark shirt over his head, Luke felt his usual calm demeanor replace the bubbly and excited feeling he had felt the entire evening with Lara. Even the simplest thought of her name made his heart twinge, but it soon was covered with his repression of his emotions. _Most Jedi-like_, Luke thought, almost bitterly.

He was no longer the man that had a romantic dinner, but now he was the Outlaw. He made men tremble at the sight of him; he was the definition of power in the galaxy. Now he went out to exercise some of his power.

(-)

For three weeks after his first date with Lara, Luke had lived a double live. In his black clothing, his clothing of the cold and death, he was the mysterious master of the underground empire. Even when he saw her on his ships, he barely spared her a glance. In his red clothing, his clothing of passion and life, he was the tender lover of the only person in his life. Luke could not have been happier in those moments when he was not feared and envied.

In search of that eluding happiness, Luke went to Lara's rooms once more. It had become an odd tradition for him to bring a gift to every one of their meetings. Sometimes it was a small stone from a far-off world or a box of delicate foods from Coruscant or something special that he thought matched her in some manner. Today he brought a glass globe; the glass itself was not spectacular, but rather the object inside of it was; the glass contained a pulsing orb of energy. It was not commonly known how the light continued to pulse without an outside energy source, but Luke knew that the living energy of the Force itself caused the odd reaction.

Anticipating her reaction, Luke anxiously called at her door. After a second Lara opened the door. Luke at first was going to greet her with a rare smile, but he noticed that she was red and splotchy, looking as if she had been crying. "Lara," he began softly. "Are you all right? What's the matter?" He strode forward and wrapped his arms protectively around her, her head nestled under his chin.

"I—" Lara could not bring herself to saw what the problem was.

"It's all right," Luke whispered soothingly into her ear, rubbing her back in a gentle manner that would have shocked most of his staff. "Come to the couch and tell me what the problem is." Gently he pushed her into the direction of the couch. She sat down and hid her face in his shoulder. "What's the problem?"

"I…" Lara began unsurely, looking up from Luke's shirt. "I don't know if I can tell you…I don't know what to do." Fear was present in her eyes.

Luke's masculine instincts kicked in. "If there is anything I can do, just tell me." Never before had Luke felt anything this powerful for anyone (not anyone that mattered, a snide voice whispered in his head) and he felt the overwhelming compulsion to protect the woman in his arms. "Come on tell me, all right?" He looked hopefully at her, trying to compel her to tell him her problems.

"You don't know much about my past, but I was married to one of my father's business partners for three years. He was a cruel man, but I was able to break away from him about a year ago. I had a daughter with him, but he kept her after I left. That little girl meant everything to me, and she was what inspired me to go. I couldn't let my little baby see me mistreated like that, so I left for her sake, since I knew he would never hurt her. Well, I just found out that he is using her to blackmail me to come back. I was his "trophy-wife," and now he is left without the status symbol.

"I was messaged today by my ex-husband that I would have to come back now if I ever wanted to see my daughter ever again. He said that he would make sure that I would never come close to her again.." With a look of complete exasperation, she looked deeply into Luke's eyes. "Please, Luke help me! I love her so much!" Luke knew that he had to help her. Looking deep into her eyes, he found hope—but there was something else. He fell deep into her eyes.

Visions flew past his eyes. The Force was trying to reveal something. Finally, the images focused and Luke gazed into the future.

Luke felt himself drawn into the vision like a dream.

_Luke had taken one of his smaller ships and had set off for Dantooine along with Lara. After traveling for several days, they reached the grassy planet. Now their plan would take effect. _

_Carefully landing the small ship in a valley near the house, Luke prepared himself for a rescue. He carefully prepared his weapons, both a blaster and his own lightsaber, which he kept hidden, and his protective gear and communication equipment. Lara carried some computer spikes in order to hack into the security system and a blaster as well. Wearing stealth equipment, the two disembarked from the ship. _

_Luke had never been to Dantooine and was surprised by its cool air. Even though he had not been on Tatooine in years, he still felt most comfortable in warmer climates. Even his own ships were kept warmer than the average ship. A breeze kept the air moving, but also took away the warmth that he preferred. The planet was covered in meadows of flowing grass. After adjusting to the setting, he looked over at Lara. Apprehension filled her face, but also a look of great expectation and joy was underneath._ She must really love her daughter, _Luke thought to himself. _She must be quite excited at the prospect of having her back in her life. _Gently squeezing Lara's shoulder, Luke proceeded to the location of the house, with Lara at his side. _

_Once they were near the security system of the house, they activated their stealth unit, rendering themselves invisible. These units were massively expensive, but Luke would not shrink away from using the best materials when it came to Lara and her happiness. They continued to a side entrance. Now Lara used her computer spikes to override the security system and let them in. After a few failed attempts, the door finally opened. Carefully scanning the area in front of them, the two entered the room. Luke could not see Lara with his eyes, but the Force still alerted him to her presence. Lara took the lead to the room where they expected her daughter to be held. After walking through a maze of hallways, Lara stopped in front of a plain looking door. Keying it open, Lara walked into the bright room. Luke followed her in, and the door slid shut behind him. Lara deactivated her stealth unit, flashing into existence again. She walked to a brightly colored door to her left. Whispering gently, she said, "Wait here. I'll bring her out, so she won't be scared. Just keep guard." Not waiting for a reply, Lara entered the room. Luke stood calmly in the center of the room, letting his mind relax into the atmosphere. Suddenly a bright flash of light lit the room, and then the room went dark. A sizzling sound revealed to Luke that his stealth unit had been compromised by an electrical burst. Keeping his composure Luke waited for the arrival he knew would come. The clicking of heels alerted him to the presence of two people. _

_A man's voice ran out in the darkness, "Give us your blaster. Just head towards the direction of my voice. Do not attempt to fire your weapon because this room is magnetically sealed and it will only ricochet back at you." Luke slowly walked towards the direction of the voice with his blaster in hand. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the blaster from him. The lights flickered on. Wincing at the sudden change from the dark to the light, Luke stared at a squat man with corded muscles. Standing next to him was— _

_"Lara," Luke breathed. She was standing comfortably next to the man in the classic pose of "I betrayed you," with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Anger and betrayal flared up in Luke. Keeping them in check, the only thing that revealed his feelings was the unusual tightness in his jaw and the flash of anger in his eyes. The squat man had two guns trained at Luke, never wavering. _

_"Oh, poor Luke," Lara mocked. "The poor outlaw who didn't have anybody, till lovable Lara arrived. Lara brought life into poor Luke's life. He would do anything for her, bring presents—save her daughter. But there is not daughter. What will he do now? He now knows that she didn't actually care for him. His bumbling attempts to have a relationship." _

_Lara laughed haughtily. "Fool. I only wanted money. So, in order have your life back, you will give us 30,000,000 credits. We know you have that much. You will send it out to twelve separate accounts spread across the galaxy. You must work with us, since there is no one you can turn to. The Empire hates you and the rebels couldn't care less." Lara walked over to a wall and pressed slightly a on seam. The wall moved back and several computer units were revealed. "Come over here, my outlaw, and wire the money and you'll live." The squat man came over and prodded Luke in the back with blaster. _

_"Move," the man grunted and pushed Luke into motion. Lara flashily indicated the computer console and stepped aside so that Luke could use it. His mind racing at the events, Luke's pure instincts and the Force guided his actions. Dropping his anger, Luke entered a cold state of mind. Heading for the console, Luke suddenly spun around to face the man, calling upon his lightsaber. Quickly activating it, Luke sliced through the man's hands and neck. Lara screamed and backed up against the wall. Luke strode over to her. _

_Holding the lightsaber only centimeters away from her next, Luke whispered in his cold voice, "So you only wanted money? I'm afraid I can't help you with that. But don't worry, prostitute, I'll make sure you have company. Go join your 'husband.'" With a swift push, Lara lay on the floor, head detached from her body. _

With a jolt, Luke was snapped back into reality. Lara had a look of concern on her face. "Luke, honey, what is it?" she asked, concern flickering in her eyes. Luke lunged off the couch and away from her.

"You—you are plotting against _me_?" Luke asked outraged. "Do you have no concept of my power?" Lara got up and walked closer to Luke to try and console him and convince him of her innocence. Luke backed away. "I know of your plot, don't even try to deny it. You planned to take me to Dantooine. But it failed, Lara. You won't succeed."

Anger filled Lara's face. "Fine, I am guilty. So what if I wanted your money? Is that wrong?" Immediately she knew she had made a terrible mistake. The anger was nearly palpable off of Luke. It felt as if it would swallow her whole. Normally Luke spoke to Lara with a soft voice, but now he spoke with ice in his words. "You will leave. I will never see you again. If you ever come in contact with any of my operations in any form, I will have you killed on sight. Take a shuttle for all I care, but leave now!" Usually she would have protested against such an agreement, but this time she that this was a good option. Without grabbing anything, she ran out of the room and into the hallway. Luke stood there.

After a moment, he realized he had a stabbing pain in his hand. Looking down, he discovered he had crushed the glass globe. The Force had dispersed throughout the room. In a final snarl of anger, Luke threw the shards at the wall before storming out. Never had he felt more alone.

But he could not have been more wrong. Across the galaxy, his only connection felt his pain for the first time in years.

(-)

Well? Was it good?

Originally, this was supposed to be combined with another chapter, but I decided they would work better if they were separated. I added onto the end to make the flow more understandable and more in line with the goal of the story.

Please leave feedback, good or bad.


End file.
